In Asia, Kerry to focus on maritime disputes, NKorea nukes

In his visit to Asia, which he began on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to press China to put more restrains on North Korea after its nuclear test and to urge Southeast Asia to respond to Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea in accord.

Laos this year takes the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the group’s heads of state scheduled to hold a special meeting next month in Sunnylands, California, at the invitation of President Barack Obama as part of his foreign policy to reach out to the region as a counterweight to China.

Although China has become one of Cambodia’s biggest benefactors in recent years-particularly with regard to Cambodia’s military-the USA still holds sway on the worldwide stage, Virak said.

The United Nations appears no closer to punishing North Korea for its nuclear test earlier this month, given China’s disagreement with the United States on how to proceed, a South Korean official claimed Monday. They have intensified as China steps up construction of man-made islands and airstrips in contested areas.

No matter if it’s the North Korea issue or the South China Sea issue, the U.S.is attempting to use a unified strategy to contain China by driving a wedge between China and its neighbors, and to realize its ultimate goal of a “rebalance to Asia” strategy, Zha Xiaogang, a research fellow with the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times.

Kerry will later make a stop in Cambodia before going on to Beijing on Wednesday.

Am Sam Ath, senior technical coordinator for the rights group Licadho, said he requested to meet with Kerry to discuss a host of issues, ranging from human rights, the culture of impunity, political issues and freedom of expression.

US Secretary of State John Kerry addresses a news conference at United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday.

Kerry, who fought in the Vietnam War and then became a champion of post-war reconciliation, said the United States had boosted funding for the disposal of unexploded ordnance over the years “and we are looking at whether or not that could be plussed-up even more”.

In Cambodia, Kerry is expected to note the country’s strong economic growth and raise concerns with longtime authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen about human rights and political freedoms.

The U.S. state secretary referred to the North under the Kim Jong-un regime as an “evolving security threat in the hands of somebody who is questionable in terms of judgment and has proven thus to China”. “What we’re trying to do is make certain when they start, everybody is clear about their roles and what’s happening, so you don’t go there and wind up with a question mark”.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the United States official said Kerry will have “in depth” discussions on the South China Sea in Beijing, which has caused tension between China and ASEAN countries.

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